There are much less manufactures of heated dog beds than from other kinds and that is in fact a good thing, there are so many dog beds you can choose from that the choice only becomes more and more difficult. But what are the criteria for a proper heated dog bed?

Do you really need a heated dog bed?

The first question you need to ask yourself is why you think your dog needs a heated dog bed, because in a normal climate and with a healthy dog you do not need a heated dog bed when your dog sleeps inside. When your dog sleeps outside in a kennel or other accommodation it is a different story of course and you might need a heated dog bed but then you need to make sure that the heated dog bed can not come in contact with any moisture because and the kennel needs electricity.

An indoor heated dog bed however is most of the time only necessary when your dog sleeps in an unheated room or when the dog suffers from joint diseases like arthritis, hipdisplasia or other sickness. When you have decided that your dog really needs a heated dog bed then the question is what is a proper heated dog bed.

Heated dog bed criteria

First of all it needs to be absolutely safe, so make sure it has the proper quality and safety marks. Second your dog needs to fit the bed. A heated dog bed for a great Dane is something completely different than for a German Shepard and they are both called big dogs. If you want to make sure you got the right size of bed for your dog, you need to measure it size. Measure the length starting from the tip of tail to the tip of the nose. This will also be the approximate length and width of bed. Another way is to measuring when your dog is in fully-stretched position you need to measure from the tip of the hind leg to the front leg.

You also need to watch the favorite sleeping position of your dog. when your dog likes to sleep curled up to a ball you need a different style of heated dog bed then when a dog sleeps fully stretched.

And last but not least the bed needs to be thick enough to fully support all the joints and pressure points of your dog. There are many different materials heated dog bed can be made from some times it is best to buy a normal orthopedic dog bed and add a thin heated dog bed to it. This way your dog is comfortable and warm.